Spark advancing and retarding mechanism for explosive-engine vehicles.



No. 721,066. v PATENTED FEB. 17', 1903.

L. PJMOOBRS. SPARK ADVANGING AND RETARDING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINE VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1901.

' Luz/entanwwm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS P. MOOERS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO PEERLESS MOTOR OAR COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

SPARK ADVANCING AND RETAR DING MECHANISM FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINE VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 721,066, dated February 17, 1903. Application filed December 9, 1901. Serial No. 85,124. \No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs P. MOOERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of 5 Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Spark Advancing and Retarding Mechanism for Explosion-Engine Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

It is a practical necessity that all explosionengine automobiles be provided with changespeed gearing intermediate of the engine and driving-axle. It is also necessary that such explosion-engines be provided with means for periodically igniting the explosive mixture in the explosion-chamber, and an electric-spark producing device is-the mechanism commonly employed for this purpose. It is customary also to provide means for advancing or retarding the making of the spark relative to the position of the piston of the engine for the purpose of advancing or retarding the explosions. It is desirable that the spark be 25 advanced or retarded, as the case may be,

when difierent change-speed mechanisms are thrown into action. It is therefore desirable that the mechanism for advancing or retarding the spark be arranged in such relation to the change-speed-operating mechanism that an operator whose one hand is engaged in controlling the steering apparatus may withthe other hand simultaneously operate the mechanism for throwing into action a different speed-gear and the mechanism for advancing and retarding the spark.

My invention is designed and adapted for producing this desirable result, and it may be conveniently summarizedhere as consisting in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out definitely in the. claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a part of the frame of an explosion-engine automobile and certain parts associated with and including the present invention supported thereby. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the lever for operating the change-speed gearing, the lever for operating the mechanism by which the spark is advanced and retarded, and of some associated parts. Fig. 3 is a front view of the circuit-breaking mechannection with this invention.

ism and the movable member by which a part of such mechanism is supported and by the movement of which the making of the spark is advanced or retarded.

Change-speed gearing of various specific kinds are well known and in common use in the art, and any suitable mechanisms which may be connected and disconnected by the operation of a lever may be employed in con- Usually friction'clutches are the means employed for conmeeting and disconnecting gears of different sizes, in which case several clutch-operating mechanisms are actuated by a single lever.

In the drawings, A represents a lever which will be placed conveniently near the chafieur.

It is loosely hung on a shaft B, between two concentric swinging frames D'and E, each having two studs, (indicated, respectively, by d and e.) The lever A maybe moved between the studs on either frame and may thereafter as it is turned 011 its axis move in either direction that frame with which it is engaging. One frame, D, is attached to a rock-shaft F,

and the other frame, E, is attached to a concentric hollow rock-shaft B. To these shafts the operating-armsfandbare secured. These arms will be connected with the operating mechanism of suitable friction-clutches-as, for example, such as is shown in Letters Patent No. 645,312 to Messrs. DeBion and Bonton, issued March 13, 1900, or in my Patent No. 706,081, issued August 5, 1902.

It will be understood that the mechanism operated by the lever A is simply illustrative, and is not in the form shown essential to the invention, and that any mechanism operable by the lever A for connecting and disconnectingdifferentchange-speed gearing may be used in its stead. So, also, any suitable sparkproducing mechanism may be employed, it being only essential that there be associated with the spark-producer a movable member by which the spark may be advanced or retarded with reference to the position of piston in the cylinder. I prefer to use the sparkproducing device shown andflescribed in my application, Serial No.7 9,7 50, filed October 2 1901, and the drawings herein show as much of that device as is necessary for the present purpose-to wit, the circuit-breaking mechanism. This includes a rotating cam M and a vibrator K, which the cam moves against a contact-point L to complete the circuit and then allows to fly away from said point to break the circuit. Any other spark-producing device-as, for example, that shown in Letters Patent No. 593,877may, however, be substituted for the preferred mechanism above referred to.

The vibrator K is secured to a support N, which is hung concentrically with the cam M and is capable \being moved about its axis, wherefore the time when the circuit will be broken relative to the position of the cam will be changed, or, in other words, the spark will be advanced or retarded.

G represents' a bell-crank lever which in the construction shown is pivoted to a stud I-I, rigidly secured to the framework of the vehicle. The substantially vertical arm g of the lever G is connected by suitable mechanism with the support N. The connecting mechanism shown consists of a bell-crank lever '1, whose arms respectively are connected the one by a link t with the lever-arm g and the other by a link 25 with said member N. The so-called links, as shown, are rods of sufficient strength and of suitable shape to enable them to escape contact with other mechanisms (not shown) in the machine. The rod i has its end bent at right angles and passed through a hole n in the support N.

The substantially horizontal arm 9 of the bell-crank G is connected by a link P with one arm j of a lever J, which is pivoted to the lever A near the handle end thereof. This leverJ has an operating-army lying alongside of and close to the handle of the lever A, and'therefore a person having hold of the lever A may with his fingers operate the lever J,and thereby through the described mechanism operate the support N of the spark-producing device and advance or retard the spark. The axis of the pivot 19, by which the link P is connected with the arm g, is substantially coincident with the axis of the lever A when the support N is in its most used position. Therefore the leverA may be moved, carrying the lever J with it, without causing any relative movement of the lever J or any actual movement of the mechanism operated by the lever J. In fact, the

movement of the lever G is so small that the -tric-spark device which includes a circuitbreaker and a movable member, which by its position advances or retards the breaking of the circuit, with a train of mechanism for operating said movable member, the terminal member of said train of mechanism be ing supported and carried by said hand-lever near the handle end thereof whereby said terminal member may be operated conjointly with or independently of said hand-lever, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an explosion-engine automobile, the

combination of a pivoted lever A adapted for operating mechanism by which diiferent change-speed gears are connected and disconnected, and an electric-spark-producing device which includes a circuit-breaker and a movable member which, by its position, advances or retards the breaking of the circuit, with a bell-crank lever G pivoted to a fixed support, a link connected with one arm of said lever G by a pivot whose axis is normally substantially coincident with the axis of the lever A, means supported by the lever A for pushing and pulling said link, and mechanism connecting the other arm of the lever G with the movable member which forms a part of the spark-producing device, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 3. In an explosion-engine automobile, the combination of a pivoted lever A adapted for operating mechanism by which different change-speed gears are connected and disconnected, and an electric-spark-producing device which includes a circuit-breaker and a movable member which, by its position, advances or retards the breaking of the circuit, with a bell-crank lever G pivoted to a fixed support, a link connected with one arm of said lever G by a pivot whose axis is normally substantially coincident with the axis of the lever A, a bell-crank lever J pivoted to the lever A near the handle end thereof and having one of its arms connected with said link, and mechanism connecting the other arm of the lever G with the movable member forming a part of the spark-producing device, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

t. In an explosion-engine automobile, the combination of a leverAadapted for operating mechanism by which different changespeed gears are connected and disconnected, and an electric-spark-prod ucing device which includes a rotating cam, a vibrator, and a support for the vibrator, which support is pivoted concentrically with said cam, with a lever G pivoted to a fixed support, a link connected with one arm of the lever G by a pivot whose axis is normally substantially coincident with the axis of the lever A, mechanism supported by the lever A for pushing and pulling said link, and mechanism connecting the other arm of said lever G with the pivoted support for the vibrator, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS P. MOOERS. Witnesses:

E. B. GILCHRIST, E. L. THURSTON. 

